1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a repair tool. More particularly, the present invention relates to a golf green repair tool.
2. Description of the Prior Art
During the course of play, a golf green may be damaged by the impact of the golf ball landing on the green, particularly when it does so from a steep angle of approach. Typically, this may leave an indentation or depressed area on the putting surface. Common golf etiquette requires that the golfer who caused the indentation or other damage repair the defect for the benefit of future players.
Repair tools used for this purpose are well known. In general, a common golf green repair tool comprises an elongate planar sheet of metal formed with a handle at one end and two or more forks at its opposite end. In some more sophisticated designs of these repair tools, the characteristics of a folding pocket knife are employed. Some such pocket knives lock and some do not.
Another common design incorporates the sliding of a fork assembly from a handle using a push and slide method. In this design the fork or blade is associated with a button assembly which can be depressed. When said button assembly is depressed, the conjoined button and fork assembly can be slid down a track in the tool to a new position. This design, however, is difficult to use as the fork assembly is not automatically powered to move forward, and thus the user must simultaneously employ two actions, namely pushing of the button assembly and sliding of the button and associated fork assembly at the same time.
There are also several “switch blade” style repair tools on the market today, which use a pivot method. These, however, also have limitations in their ease of use as the user cannot wrap their fingers completely around the handle and must ensure their fingers are in a location that does not block the operation of the blade. In addition, the locking mechanisms of the switchblade designs are located on the outer edge of the blade.
Numerous specific innovations for golf green repair tools have been provided in the prior art. Even though these innovations may be suitable for the specific individual purposes to which they address, they each differ in structure and/or operation and/or purpose from the present invention.
FOR EXAMPLE, U.S. Pat. No. 3,539,017 to Johnson teaches a turf repairing tool in the form of a compact, rectangular case which can be carried in the pocket. A movable fork enclosed in the case has prongs which are extended from or retracted into the case by a button or knob accessible on top of the case for operating by the thumb.
ANOTHER EXAMPLE, U.S. Pat. No. 4,884,805 to Patterson teaches an apparatus for removing ball marks from golf course surfaces that includes an elongated handle having at one end thereof a tongue having prongs to be inserted into the turf, adjacent and beneath the ball mark. A tension spring attaches the tongue to the handle, and a compression spring spaces the tongue from the handle against the action of the tension spring. The tension spring attachment permits the tongue to pivot relative to the long axis of the handle, and the compression spring acts to return the tongue to alignment with the long axis of the handle after each use.
STILL ANOTHER EXAMPLE, U.S. Pat. No. 4,998,726 to Budnick teaches a light-weight, integrated, self-contained golf premium device to aid a golfer during a golf game comprising a generally rectangular two-piece case having a circular rotatable stroke counter, a retractable cleaning tool, a ball marker retainer and ball marker, an information display surface and an eyelet to secure the device to a key chain or golf bag. The two-piece case has a front and rear piece formed of a relatively rigid material which are fixedly secured to one another by conventional internal connecting elements. Each case piece has a generally planar wall with a peripheral edge, an upper and lower end, and a first side and a second side. The peripheral edges of the front and rear pieces are adapted to cooperate with each other to form the eyelet and to form the case for holding the ball marker, the stroke counter, and the retractable cleaning tool.
YET ANOTHER EXAMPLE, U.S. Pat. No. 5,388,824 to Reimers teaches a compact, manually-manipulable device constituting an assembly of golfing related accessories and aids secured in, and retractably extendible from, a body or housing of the device. Included as independent functional elements of the device are a divot fixer, a probe-like club face groove cleaner, and a wire brush. Additionally, a ball marker is removably secured in the body of the device. Each of the probe, brush, and divot repairer components is quickly and easily selectively slideably extended for functional use, while positive securement to the body of the device is preserved. The device may conveniently be carried in one's pocket for ready retrieval.
STILL YET ANOTHER EXAMPLE, U.S. Pat. No. 5,405,133 to Upton teaches a folding ball mark repair tool for repairing a ball mark depression in a golf green resulting from impact of a golf ball landing on the green thereby leaving the green free of a surface irregularity that may adversely effect putting conditions. The ball mark repair tool comprises an elongated flat blade for insertion under a concave ball mark in greens turf for prying the turf upwardly for smoothing thereof. The blade has two parallel pointed prongs extending from an end thereof. An elongated flattened handle has a longitudinal central slot formed therein wherein the blade shank is pivotally disposed such that the blade may be pivoted to a storage position thereof wherein the blade is disposed within the slot and a working position thereof wherein the blade is approximately 180 degree from the storage position extending out of the slot. A spring pivotally biases the blade to the working position. A latch is included whereby the blade may be releasably retained in the storage position. The latch is biased to a blade engageable latch position and also has a blade disengageable release position. The latch also has a finger engagement button formed on one end thereof which projects slightly above the surface of the handle when the rod is in the latch position whereupon finger pressure by a user causes the blade to spring from the storage position to the working position.
YET STILL ANOTHER EXAMPLE, U.S. Pat. No. 5,449,169 to Hardin teaches a retractable divot repair tool assembly comprising a divot repair tool in a generally planar configuration, the tool having long parallel side edges, a short linear bottom edge coupling the side edges and an upper portion formed in a generally V-shaped configuration and with the lower portion of the tool being in a generally rectangular configuration of a length slightly less than the length of the upper V-shaped portion with an aperture therethrough and a recess in the aperture; a housing in a generally box-like configuration having rectangular front and rear walls, a bottom wall at right angles with respect thereto and parallel side walls coupling the side edges of the front and rear walls and the side edges of the bottom wall, the container having an opened upper end, the container also having a longitudinal slot on the front wall along the majority of its length thereof parallel with the side walls and with short upper and lower transverse slots adjacent to the upper end and lower end of the longitudinal slot; and mechanisms to move the divot repair tool between a stored orientation within the container and an operative orientation exterior of the container.
STILL YET ANOTHER EXAMPLE, U.S. Pat. No. 5,562,553 to Digerness teaches a multipurpose golfer's tool comprising a body and a divot repair tool slidably received within the body. The divot repair tool comprises a fork-like end and a distal end opposite the fork-like end. A cover is hingedly attached to the distal end and is positioned on the exterior of the body. The cover is easily manipulable to slide the divot repair tool from a retracted position within the body to an operating position. The cover also has a generally planar surface for imprinting indicia thereon. The tool further comprises a pencil sharpener mounted in the body, a detachable ball marker mounted on the body, and a club head groove cleaner mounted on the body.
YET STILL ANOTHER EXAMPLE, U.S. Pat. No. 5,782,708 to Kimball Jr. teaches a golfing tool for repairing golf ball divots. The device comprises a divot repair tool attached to a retractable cord emerging from a housing. The divot repair tool is retracted back to the device after use by the golfer. A fastener, such as a belt clip or an alligator clip, attaches the device to the golfer's clothing. Furthermore, channels in the body receive golf tees, and a ball marker is releasably attached to either the divot repair tool or the housing.
STILL YET ANOTHER EXAMPLE, U.S. Pat. No. 6,413,174 to Roberts teaches a device that is a retractable golf divot repair tool, a tool for attaching and removing soft spikes from the soles of golf shoes, and a holder for a ball marker. A case is provided into which the pointed ends of the tool retract, and the case has an indentation provided in it to removably receive a ball marker that attaches magnetically to the indentation.
YET STILL ANOTHER EXAMPLE, U.S. Pat. No. 6,428,430 to Chong teaches a ball-mark repair tool that includes a housing having a longitudinal slot and an open end; a repair tool having an operative end and being slidably positioned in the housing for sliding along a path between a withdrawn position and an extending position, the operative end extending from the open end of the housing in the extending position; a latch member associated with the repair tool for sliding along the path with the repair tool and extending through the slot for manually moving the repair tool, the latch member further being positionable, when the repair tool is in the extending position, between a latching position wherein the repair tool is held in the extending position and a released position wherein the repair tool can be moved along the path to the withdrawn position.
It is apparent that numerous specific innovations for golf green repair tools have been provided in the prior art that are adapted to be used. Furthermore, even though these innovations may be suitable for the specific individual purposes to which they address, they would not be suitable for the purposes of the present invention as heretofore described.